Mental Health Innovation Network (MHIN)

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗛𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗛𝘂𝗯 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 (𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲) 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁! 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴:  • Nigeria’s move to decriminalise attempted suicide  • Mali’s first National Mental Health Congress  • The new WHO investment case for mental health in Africa  • Stories from MHLP leaders across Africa, including Nikiwe Mtema’s       journey from silence to advocacy in Malawi  • Our new Partner Focus section with our host, Asido Foundation  • Opportunities, including two CBM Global consultancies (closing 21 October) #GMHAC2027 early bird registration closes today! Read the full newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gAkyHKyq

📢 MHIN Opportunities Roundup | Sept/Oct 2026 Looking for your next opportunity in global mental health? 🌍 Each month, the Mental Health Innovation Network (MHIN) brings together a selection of current vacancies, fellowships, courses and funding opportunities from across the field. 📅 UPCOMING DEADLINES 🔴 Call for Applications: Youth-to-Youth Global MHPSS Campaign — deadline TODAY, 16 October 2026 💼 VACANCIES & FELLOWSHIPS • Call for Applications: Youth-to-Youth Global MHPSS Campaign — 16 October 2026 💰 FUNDING • New Call for Proposals: NRP 85 “Mental Health of Adolescents” — 24 November 2026 • MQ Mental Health Research Schizophrenia Research Fellowship — 8 December 2026 🔎 Explore the opportunities and find out more: https://lnkd.in/diWkXEWA Know of an opportunity that should be shared with the global mental health community? Let us know at mhin@lshtm.ac.uk #GlobalMentalHealth #MentalHealth #MentalHealthInnovation #GlobalHealth #MHPSS #Research #Funding #Opportunities

Mental Health Innovation Network (MHIN)

We're excited to share that Zuri Wellness Portal has been selected for the Innovation Fair at the Global Mental Health Africa Conference (GMHAC 2027), taking place 8-10 February 2027 in Nairobi, Kenya. 🎉 Led by the Mental Health Innovation Network (MHIN) and supported by Wellcome Trust, in partnership with the @Science for Africa Foundation, the Fair brings together advocates, policy-makers, funders, researchers, people with lived experience, frontline workers and investors from across Africa and beyond. At MIND-VERSE Uganda, we're building accessible, locally relevant mental health and psychosocial support, and this is a great opportunity to showcase our work, learn from fellow innovators and build partnerships that expand impact. Thank you to the MHIN team for the warm welcome. We look forward to the journey ahead! If you're attending GMHAC 2027, come say hello. Mental Health Innovation Network (MHIN) Wellcome Trust #GMHAC2027 #InnovationFair #MentalHealth #GlobalMentalHealth #MHPSS #Uganda #Africa #MindverseUganda #ZuriWellnessPortal

Heal by Hair has been selected for the GMHAC 2027 Innovation Fair! We’re pleased to share that Heal by Hair will be among the innovations showcased at the Global Mental Health African Conference (GMHAC 2027), taking place in Nairobi, Kenya, from 8 to 10 February 2027. Developed by Bluemind Foundation, Heal by Hair transforms African hair salons into spaces for mental health prevention by training hairdressers in active listening, psychosocial support and referrals to appropriate care. This selection is an opportunity to bring our approach to a wider audience, exchange knowledge with innovators and practitioners, and connect with people working to advance mental health across Africa and beyond. The Innovation Fair is led by the Mental Health Innovation Network (MHIN), supported by Wellcome Trust , and organised in partnership with the Science for Africa Foundation as part of GMHAC 2027. We look forward to sharing the Heal by Hair experience in Nairobi and contributing to conversations on how locally rooted innovations can expand access to mental health support. #BluemindFoundation #HealByHair #GMHAC2027 #MentalHealthInnovation

📅 Webinar: Reaching the Unreached – Innovations and Community Pathways in Mental Health - 21st October 2026 Join our MHIN Asia Hub and Philippine Mental Health Association (PMHA), for a webinar exploring how innovative, community-based approaches can help bridge gaps in mental health care and reach underserved populations. Despite growing awareness of mental health, significant barriers to accessing support remain, particularly for geographically isolated communities, underserved populations, and young children navigating an increasingly complex digital environment. 🎤 The discussion will highlight key PMHA initiatives, showcasing how technology, partnerships, preventive programmes and grassroots advocacy can extend mental health care beyond traditional settings. Speakers will share practical lessons, scalable models and opportunities for collaboration across sectors to help ensure that mental health support reaches those who need it most. The webinar will feature: Dr. Carolina Uno-Rayco Llewelyn Issa Dela Cruz Christine Gina D. Camsol 🕐Wednesday 21 October 2026 | 11am - 12:30pm (UTC+8) 💻 Online 🔗 Details and registration: https://lnkd.in/eV2Cfwed #MentalHealth #CommunityMentalHealth #MentalHealthInnovation #AccessToMentalHealth #MHIN

📣 Resource Spotlight: Youth Mental Health & Well-Being in an Uncertain World What if supporting young people’s mental health meant looking beyond health services? 🌍 This 2026 report from UNU Global Health, in collaboration with the United Nations Youth Office, calls for a whole-system approach — recognising how education, housing, employment, climate, digital spaces and communities shape young people’s well-being. 🧰 Discover the Youth Mental Health & Well-Being Ecosystem Model, a framework to help governments and institutions connect action and build more supportive environments for young people. 🔗 Explore the report: https://lnkd.in/enJC7pNa Because young people’s mental health is shaped not just by who they are, but by the world around them. #YouthMentalHealth #YouthWellBeing #MentalHealthInnovation #MHIN

Happy #worldmentalhealthday2026 Today, the Mental Health Innovation Network (MHIN) is passing the mic to people with lived experience, because the future of mental health cannot be built without them. In this short clip, four advocates challenge us all to do more than listen: include, co-design, and let lived experience lead. How are you marking World Mental Health Day, and how will you make space for lived experience voices this year? Tell us in the comments.

🌍 Tomorrow is World Mental Health Day, and we’ve been reminded once again of just how powerful it can be to share our stories. 💙 Over the past week, we’ve had the privilege of sharing stories from people around the world who have turned their lived experiences into something meaningful — supporting others, building communities, challenging stigma and helping create change. We’ve shared and reposted stories across our channels, and we’ve been so pleased to receive more stories in our inbox, too. To everyone who has taken the time to share a part of their journey with us, thank you. And to everyone who has read, listened, shared and connected with these stories, thank you for being part of the conversation. 💙 Behind every story is a person, a journey, and an experience that deserves to be heard. No two stories are the same, but each has something to teach us about what it means to live with, care for, support or advocate for better mental health. ✨ And we hope the stories keep coming. As we mark World Mental Health Day 2026 and this year’s theme, “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change,” we want to keep making space for these voices — not just tomorrow, but every day. If you have a story you’d like to share, we would love to hear from you. Whether you’ve supported someone else, found ways to help your community, advocated for change, or simply want to share something from your own journey, your experience matters. 📩 Write to us at mhin@lshtm.ac.uk Subject line: Lived Experience Story 🔗 https://lnkd.in/grwySwEp As we head into World Mental Health Day tomorrow, let’s keep listening to one another, learning from one another, and making space for stories that might help someone else feel a little less alone. 🌱 Everyone has a story. Every story matters. #WorldMentalHealthDay #WMHD2026 #RealVoicesRealChange #LivedExperience #MentalHealth #MHIN #PeerSupport